When to See a Doctor About Varicose Veins?

Do you see large rope-like bulging veins on the surface of your skin? If so, you’ve probably got spider veins and varicose veins and you need to see a vein specialist in NY or vein specialist in NJ immediately.

Statistically, around 3 in 10 women suffer from varicose veins at some point in their lives. So you have no reason to panic, but you should consult a reputable vein treatment clinic as soon as possible.

Varicose veins are a symptom of an underlying vein disease called venous insufficiency which can be pretty dangerous if left untreated. If you’ve got varicose veins, you must be wondering, “when to see a doctor about varicose veins?”

To put it simply, the answer is: Right Now!

Venous insufficiency can progress rapidly and it can lead to some serious consequences. In this article, we’ll give you a list of the top 10 signs and symptoms of varicose veins. If you can identify any of them, you should consult a varicose vein specialist immediately.

10 Signs and Symptoms of Varicose Veins

The first thing you should know about the symptoms of varicose veins is that they are always worse at the end of the day.

Varicose veins occur when blood pools in the legs, applying greater pressure on the walls of the veins and causing them to expand and protrude outwards. If you suffer from vein disease, blood continues pooling in your legs throughout the day — especially if you spend a lot of time sitting or standing still. As such, the symptoms of varicose veins are always worse at the end of the day.

With that in mind, please carefully go through these signs and symptoms of varicose veins. If you identify any of them, contact a varicose vein specialist in NY or varicose vein specialist in NJ.

Appearance of Varicose Veins

The most obvious sign of varicose veins is their visual appearance on your legs. Varicose veins are large twisted rope-like knots of blood vessels that protrude out of the skin. They are generally dark purple, blue, red, or green in color.

Pain and Discomfort

Varicose veins cause immense pain and discomfort. The pain is usually worse at the end of the day and it continues growing in intensity over time. The pain and discomfort may manifest in the following sensations:

• Heaviness and aching sensation in the legs.
• Irritation and itching sensation over the veins.
• Gently throbbing veins.

Swollen Ankles

As previously mentioned, vein disease causes blood to pool in the lower legs and ankles. Consequently, your legs and ankles start swelling up because of the increased pressure from all the accumulated blood.

Leg Cramps

The excess lactic acid buildup and the poor blood circulation lead to intense leg cramps. During these periods of leg cramps, you momentarily lose control over the voluntary muscles in your legs and experience a short series of muscle spasms.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Varicose veins also lead to Restless Leg Syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease. This is a condition in which you have an uncontrollable desire to move your legs, accompanied with a tingling, itching, or burning sensation.

Profuse Bleeding

Varicose veins occur when the pressure inside your veins is extremely high due to the blood accumulation. As such, your veins are distended and even tiny bumps or scratches can lead to profuse bleeding.

If your varicose veins burst, it may be extremely difficult to stop the bleeding. In this case, you should immediately elevate your legs on a stool and apply pressure on the wound. You’ll need to be taken to the emergency room immediately.

Chronic Skin Changes

Varicose veins can lead to several skin conditions and diseases. You can develop eczema, i.e., the skin around your varicose veins get inflamed, scaly, and develop a deep rusty color. This happens because of the accumulation of a pigment called hemosiderin found within the broken blood cells. Eczema can also lead to itching and irritation.

Leg Ulcers

The increased pressure and lack of blood circulation increase the likelihood of leg ulcers. In this case, your wounds either heal slowly or don’t heal at all.

Lipodermatosclerosis

Lipodermatosclerosis is a severe skin condition that leads to permanent disfigurement and stiffness of the skin. It occurs because of scarring in the subcutaneous tissues, i.e., the tissues present just under the surface of the skin.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

If you continue neglecting your varicose veins, then the accumulated blood may clot inside your veins. This is a medical condition called deep vein thrombosis. The presence of blood clots inside your veins leads to stiffness and extreme pain.

However, deep vein thrombosis can also be fatal. If the blood clots break away, they may travel to your lungs, inducing a potentially fatal medical condition called pulmonary embolism.

Best Varicose Vein Specialist NY

At VIP Medical Group, we have a professional board-certified Ivy League-educated vein doctors Dr. Caroline Novak who will study all of your conditions carefully in order to come up with a varicose vein treatment solution just for you.

We believe in using completely safe non-surgical minimally-invasive treatments such as Radiofrequency Ablation, VenaSeal, and Endovenous Laser Ablation. These treatments cause no pain and discomfort, conclude within an hour, and lead to no downtime so you can resume your daily activities immediately.

Remember, varicose veins may seem harmless initially, but they can be potentially fatal if left untreated. If you notice any of the signs and symptoms of varicose veins, then please consult your nearest vein treatment clinic immediately.